Bed2U

Aero began in 1992. The method of inflating and deflating mattresses that Aero used was so new that it had only been patented shortly before the company’s inception. Designers and engineers at Aero incorporated this advanced technique and it has been a hallmark of their product line ever since. They’ve gotten so good at it, current Aero air mattresses can be filled in less than a minute and drained in 15 seconds.

The Aero Aerobed Premier Intelliwarmth is one of Aero’s flagship inflatables and sports a flat panel profile pump. Basically, the pump is in the mattress, you just plug it in. No wonder that when tested together, consumers found Aero air mattresses easier to set up than the Simmons product.

The Intelliwarmth model employs a washable mattress cover than contains what they call “heating fibers”. These fibers are controlled by a handheld remote (wired). You can adjust the temperature to offset a varied degree of chill. The remote and heating system works fine and received no complaints from consumers.

The Intelliwarmth, offered in twin, full and queen sizes, is made from 18 guage PVC. In short, it’s pretty durable, unless you stab it with a fork. However, one consumer did complain that their mattress only lasted a few days and began developing holes and seam tears, which the buyer was hopelessly unable to patch. This said, numbers show that Aero’s default rate runs at less than 5% and yes, while it possible to come across a lemon, the product line in general lives up to the Aero’s fairly strict guidelines.

If you’re concerned about all this ’strength’ making the Intelliwarmth hard as a brick, the Aerobed mattresses were preferred for comfort by a sizable number of consumers in testing lead by independent researchers.

The Intelliwarmth is a luxury mattress and with prices ranging from $200 to $300. Not in the price range of some buyers. Again there are cheaper options that will serve almost as well. If you’re in the mood for a bargain, you may want to go online. www.sparebed.com is well-liked by its customers for its ease of ordering, reasonable prices and timely shipment.

No Comments »

Returning crusaders brought with them cushions which they threw on the floor and slept on. A novel idea in medieval Europe, but it soon caught on and Europeans absorbed enough Aramaic to put together the word we still use today – mattress.

‘Mattress’ has been in our vocabulary for almost one thousand years and the image of it is nearly universally understood, yet most consumers have no idea what goes into them. Without this knowledge of material and function, it is impossible to make an informed buying decision.

In the beginning, Europeans stuffed mattresses with natural materials such as straw and feathers. As time went by and technology changed, mattress interiors became more synthetically complex. Today, we use things such as latex, viscoelastic, or other polyurethane-type foams to compliment or replace innerspring cores.

Although water and air mattresses have evolved over time, it’s pretty well a no-brainer as to what they contain, so the following breakdown will be of a conventional mattress:

Anatomy of a mattress

Ticking – This is the layer that you actually see. Generally ticking is made from polyester or cotton-polyester and is stitched to the top padding in that familar criss-cross pattern. Ticking can vary in ’softness’. The tighter its stitching pattern, the firmer it is.

Quilt Package – This is what gives the ticking its pillowy bounce. Quilt packages are commonly made from polyurethane foam. With some mattresses, manufacturers add polyester batting. Don’t let thickness fool you, anything more than an inch could result in your quilt package developing those unsightly and uncomfortable sag points.

Padding – This separates the springs from the ticking. Consumer Reports recommends that you search out mattress padding made from latex and/or visco-elastic (known to you and me as ‘memory foam’). Latex’s pillowy firmness and ability to bounce back combined with memory foam’s ability to shape to your body helps to increase movement isolation. ‘Movement Isolation’ is a fancy phrase. Basically, the better the movement isolation of a mattress, the better chance you have of getting out of bed without waking your partner.

Coils – These give your mattress its real support. From their position beneath the padding, they determine how firm your mattress is. Manufacturers attempt to tell potential customers that their coil system is vastly superior to their competitors, but among the most popular types used, all were found capable of providing the same degree of support. The real difference between coils is their guage. The thicker the spring, the stiffer it is. This, of course, relates directly to the firmness of the mattress.

Extra Support – Some mattresses are given a little more than others. Such support might include specific areas packed with more springs, stiff foam reinforcing the edges, stiff foam laced between the coils and increased thickness of the springs.

Foundation – This keeps your mattress from rolling together like a hammock. Its sole purpose is support and therefore has no spring. Rather ironic that it is referred to as a ‘box spring’. The only real difference in foundations, is their height. Something you may want to consider, if you’re thinking of purchasing a thicker-than-standard mattress.

So now that you know what’s inside of it and underneath it, you’ll enjoy yourself more when you’re on top of it.

No Comments »

Last year I renovated and managed to create a spare bedroom. The room itself isn’t that large so I needed to find a single bed that could be turned into a double when I go from ‘guest’ to ‘guests’.

I finally bought the Kyoto Quebec Guest Bed. I was initially attracted to Kyoto Fusion Ltd, because they make hardwood bed frames from sustainable resources.

With some further investigation, I discovered that Kyoto’s hardwood bed frames were not only environmentally friendly, but they also had a great wear life.

Once I took delivery, I was impressed yet again with Kyoto’s attention to design. I’ve had guest beds in the past, but they looked cheap, didn’t last and sagged in all the wrong spots. The Quebec Guest Bed is not only beautiful, but incredibly sturdy. (as demonstrated by my two young nephews)

My bed fits neatly against the wall and with very little effort, I can slide out the ‘extra’ single, release the spring-loaded legs and have a double bed in minutes. I’ve had my guest bed for almost a year and it’s still as easy to set up as it was the first day I got it. Of course, I’m not worried too much about mechanical failure as I got a five-year warranty with the bed. (my nephews will have grown out of their destructive phase by then)

One drawback however, is expense. I had to save for months before I had the near £800 price tag on Kyoto’s Quebec Guest Bed. Admittedly, part of this cost was for a latex mattress set, but I have allergies and latex keeps me from sneezing. I still feel the dent in my pocket book, but in ten years, when my nephews are putting their kids to sleep in the bed that they themselves couldn’t break, I’ll know that my investment in my Kyoto Quebec Guest Bed was wise.

If you’re in the UK and online, you should visit www.sleepingsolutions.co.uk. I found their service to be prompt and courteous. They were especially helpful in directing me to the product that suited me best. Sleepingsolutions carry a wide variety of beds, bedding and accessories from a number of reputable manufacturers.

No Comments »

After almost a lifetime of camping, I’ve grown to appreciate the inflatable mattress because it separates me from the rocky ground and the rainwater that inevitably finds its way into my tent. What I haven’t grown to appreciate, is the time it has taken over the years to inflate/deflate my various inflatable mattresses. Sure, I could have purchased a pump that plugs into a cigarette lighter, but my car is usually miles away from my tent.

So when it came to replacing my latest air mattress, I set about to find a product that satisfied all of my needs. I finally settled on the Aero Sport® All-Terrain Bed manufactured by Aero.

The Aero Sport® All-Terrain Bed has Aero’s unique Dual Pump that gives you the option of using in-pump rechargable battery or plugging the unit into a cigarette lighter. I don’t really need both options, but I like the fact that Aero seeks to satisfy all of the camper demographic rather than just the hard-core wilderness lovers.

I discovered that earlier products from Aero with the rechargable pump feature proved less than adequate as they were difficult to connect to the mattress and didn’t have as many charged uses as promised in the literature. Aero has worked hard and come up with solutions for both those issues in their newer rechargable pumps. Mine seems to live up to expectations and is fairly easy to connect.

My Aero Sport® All-Terrain Bed not only drastically reduces the time I spend setting up, it also requires far less space to carry than any of my other mattresses. This means I have more time to hike and I can hike further because of the reduced payload requirements.

My brother is proof that the Aero Sport® All-Terrain Bed is good for first time campers. He was able to set up the bed without incident. I wish I could say the same thing about the tent. Anyway, he is going to get a queen-sized All-Terrain so he can use it for camping and also for a spare guest bed. It must be comfortable!

The Aero Sport® All-Terrain Bed is rugged and durable, and Aero stands behind it with a one-year limited warranty. It also comes in twin size and queen size, which means you need a large enough tent for it, but believe me, it’s worth it.

If you’re looking for an online distributor, Sparebed.com carries a wide selection of Aero products, not to mention a plethora of other air mattress brands. I found the folks at Sparebed.com to be quite helpful in helping me select the mattress that was right for me.

No Comments »